Results Day: NI Students Pick Up A-Level Grades From Across Globe

About 13,000 of Northern Ireland-s young adults have been finding out their A-level grades, with some logging on to the system from as far away as New Zealand, Sweden and Cambodia.

More schools than ever before (76%) have allowed students to find out their results on the examination board CCEA’s website, leading to the log-ins from holiday destinations.

CCEA said almost 5,000 students in 35 countries logged on in the first twenty minutes after results being made available.

More students than ever (32,908) got A levels, but the top grades were down.

31.9% of entrants got A* and A grades, down from last year's figure of 34.5%.

Anne Marie Duffy, director of qualifications at CCEA, said the results matched predictions from this year group's AS level grades.

Biology was the most studied subject, while Media Studies was the only subject to have a significant rise in those sitting the exam.

But there may be disappointment ahead for many students, as more than 8,000 locals are predicted to miss out on a place at Northern Ireland's universities, and there are only 200 Clearing places at Queen's and the University of Ulster.

Higher education fees here are £3,465 a year, compared to £9,000 in England and Wales.

A University of Ulster spokesman said: "At a time when national applications are generally down across the UK, we have bucked that trend."

Adrianne Peltz, president of students' union NUS-USI, called on universities and the minister of employment and learning to increase the number of third-level places here.

(NE/GK)